Bowling alley bowling ball shock absorber mechanism
AssigneePatentverwertungs-und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG
InventorAugust Schmid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
To accept the kinetic energy of moving bowling balls and stop the bowling lls, and transport them from the bowling pin pit to a return mechanism, one, and preferably two vertically staggered bumpers are provided located transversely across the bowling pit, the bumpers being movable and having a movable mass which corresponds essentially to the mass of the bowling balls; to return the bowling balls, an endless rubber belt or cable is moved transversely to the bowling pin pit, for example secured to the lower one of the bumper assemblies, to engage the bowling ball when it has impinged the bumper and is just in front thereof to move it transversely out of the way of the bowling alley pit.
Claims19
In combination with a moving bowling ball, a bowling alley bowling ball shock absorber mechanism to accept the kinetic energy of said moving bowling ball and having a shock absorbing element (1) mounted for movement in the direction of movement of the bowling ball, and means rigidly secured to the shock absorbing element (1) temporarily storing and then dissipating kinetic energy imparted to said element upon impact with said moving ball, and subsequent deflection of said element,
- wherein the movable mass of the shock absorbing element (1) corresponds approximately to the mass of the bowling ball (10) so that the kinetic energy of the moving bowling ball will be transferred from the bowling ball (10) to the movable element upon impact of the bowling ball against the movable element;
- and bowling ball transport means (16, 17) extending transversely to the bowling alley located to be engaged by the braked bowling ball after impact with said shock absorbing element.
Bowling alley bowling ball shock absorber mechanism to accept the kinetic energy of moving bowling balls having two shock absorbing bumpers (1, 12), one located behind the other;
- energy storage and dissipating means (7, 26;
- 35, 29) connected to each one of said bumpers to temporarily store kinetic energy imparted to said bumpers upon impingement of a moving bowling ball therewith, and consequent deflection of the respective bumper;
- said bumpers being vertically staggered with respect to each other, and each comprising a beam (3, 14) extending transversely of the bowling alley, the forward bumper having its transverse beam (3, 4) located higher than that of the rearward bumper, the rearward bumper being wider than the forward bumper and extending essentially across the entire bowling alley;
- and a transport mechanism comprising a pair of sheaves having an approximately vertical axis located on the rearward one of said bumpers and an elastic friction belt (17) looped about said sheaves, said friction belt extending transversely with respect to the bowling alley, at least one of said sheaves being driven, to provide a transversely extending driven friction belt for engagement with a bowling ball projected towards said bumpers and to transport the bowling ball laterally of the alley.
Bowling alley bowling ball shock absorber mechanism to accept the kinetic energy of moving bowling balls rolling over a support surface (11, 34) having
- a shock absorbing bumper (12) extending transversely across the bowling alley, said bumper being formed as a beam (14) having an impact surface (15) located and angled to be approximately tangential with respect to the point of impingement of the bowling ball thereon, the clearance distance (H) between the lowest point of the bumper (12) and the support surface (11) corresponding to approximately half the diameter of a bowling ball and being larger than the widest diameter of a bowling pin;
- a pair of pivotally mounted arms (13) disposed at either side of the bowling alley and supporting said transversely extending beam (14);
- a restoring spring (35) connected to said arms to resiliently hold said arms (13) and hence said bumper (12) in rest position and permitting deflection by pivoting of the support arms;
- a return damping dashpot (22) connected to said arms (13), said restoring spring (35) and said dashpot (22) forming, together, energy storage and dissipating means connected to said bumper (12) to temporarily store kinetic energy imparted thereto upon impingement of a moving bowling ball therewith, and consequent deflection of the bumper (12);
- and bowling ball transport means including
- a pair of sheaves having an approximately vertical axis located on the bumper (12) and
- an elastic friction belt (17) looped about said sheaves, said friction belt extending transversely with respect to the bowling alley, at least one of said sheaves being driven, to provide a transversely extending driven friction belt for engagement with a bowling ball projected towards said bumper and to transport the bowling ball laterally of the alley.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.